The moment Li Yin stepped out of the elevator, she was instantly enveloped by the bustling world outside.
A street barbecue vendor blasted DJ music through his speakers, and passersby moved about with various snacks in hand, filling the air with enticing aromas and lively chatter.
Her recently stabilized mood began to shift again. A throbbing sensation crept into her temples, and her body instinctively shivered.
Yi Fan noticed the subtle change in the person beside him and said softly, "With the right mindset, the night market is basically Bali."
Li Yin glanced at Yi Fan.
She knew he was joking, but instead of feeling dismissive, she found herself reassured. A small sense of safety welled up, prompting her to move a little closer to him. She whispered, "Can you shield me a bit? I'm worried I'll start walking awkwardly."
"What's there to be afraid of?" Yi Fan walked ahead with an exaggerated gait. "This world's already crazy; no one's going to care about us."
Afraid of being left behind, Li Yin quickly followed.
Once they stepped out onto the street, the noise became even more overwhelming.
But just as Yi Fan had said, wrapped in the cloak of night, no one at East Gate cared if you walked strangely.
"Do you know?" Yi Fan suddenly said, feigning seriousness. "The Vatican has a population of 800 people, while Australia has 47 million kangaroos. If Australia's kangaroos decided to invade the Vatican, each Vatican resident would have to fend off 58,750 kangaroos. You don't know this, do you? And you shouldn't care. Neither do they."
Li Yin understood the implication.
She smiled faintly, lowering her head. Her feet, still in slippers, kicked lightly at the pavement, grounding her in the moment.
"Shall we take a walk?" Yi Fan tilted his head, inviting her.
"Sure!" Li Yin immediately followed.
The calls of the street vendors, initially noisy, began to carry a hint of friendliness upon closer listening.
The world… didn't seem as scary as she had thought.
Li Yin quickened her pace slightly, and the two of them strolled along until they reached the crosswalk at an intersection.
Yi Fan asked, "What are we now?"
Li Yin immediately responded, "Pedestrians!"
She laughed after answering, and Yi Fan chuckled as well. "Not bad."
After walking around the night market, Li Yin commented with slight regret, "No smoked chicken, no green rice cakes, and no milk skins."
"How about barbecue, then? There's a good place right downstairs from my office," Yi Fan suggested.
"Alright!"
While she wasn't particularly fond of barbecue, Li Yin was very curious about Yi Fan's company.
Her eagerness to quickly integrate into society stemmed from her desire to start working, earn money, and pay off her debts. Only then would she feel ready to return home.
The barbecue place wasn't far, just a short walk away.
From a distance, the vendor spotted Yi Fan and immediately moved a table to the front of the shop. When Yi Fan approached, the vendor greeted him warmly, "Boss Yi, leaving work early today?"
Yi Fan smiled sheepishly. "Uncle Wang, don't tease me. Just call me Xiao Yi."
"Heh." Uncle Wang chuckled, wiping his sweat with a towel hanging around his neck. Noticing Li Yin, he asked, "And who's this?"
Yi Fan had already thought of a plausible answer. "She's a new employee at the escape room, my distant cousin."
"Ah, I see! Well then, have a seat! First time meeting my little cousin, and though I can't do much, I'll treat you to some of my barbecue. Half price tonight for everything you order!"
Li Yin wanted to politely decline, but Yi Fan shook his head with a grin and guided her to a seat. "Don't bother arguing. He's as stubborn as an ox. If he wants to treat us, let him."
Since that was the case, Li Yin turned back with a smile and said, "Thank you, Uncle Wang."
"Oh, my!" Uncle Wang beamed at her words, flipping the skewers on the grill with renewed vigor.
It took some time to decide on their order. Yi Fan, holding the menu, consulted Li Yin while choosing. In doing so, he also learned about her preferences. She wasn't picky about food and claimed she could handle spicy flavors well.
Once they placed their order, Yi Fan unwrapped the disposable chopsticks, rinsed them with hot water, and poured tea for both of them.
After filling the cups, Yi Fan raised his and said, "Here's to a successful partnership!"
Li Yin smiled and raised her cup. "To a successful partnership!"
Under the bright moonlight, surrounded by bustling streets, and with the aroma of grilled food in the air, the night felt rich with life.
Yi Fan leaned back in his chair, relaxing. "Li Yin, do you remember what year you're from?"
Li Yin shook her head. "I don't."
Yi Fan had expected this. He said, "To help you find your family, it's important to pinpoint your era. I'm going to ask you some questions—just answer based on your gut feeling…"
He started lightly. "Have you heard of the Beijing Olympics?"
Li Yin shook her head. "Doesn't ring a bell."
Relying on a single question wouldn't work, as memories could be hazy. Yi Fan took out his Bluetooth earphones, handed her one, and played the Olympic theme song from that year.
Anyone from that era should have some impression of this song.
After listening, Li Yin frowned slightly. "Some of the sounds feel familiar, but I don't recognize the song itself."
"That's fine. Let's try something else," Yi Fan said reassuringly.
He played another track, continuing to test her memory.
Through this process, he deduced that her era likely preceded 2008.
Following this line of reasoning, Yi Fan mentioned various significant events: the completion of the Three Gorges Dam, the opening of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway, and so on, using popular music of the time as supporting evidence. Gradually, he narrowed down the timeframe.
At that moment, their skewers arrived.
Yi Fan bit into a lamb skewer with satisfaction, wiping the sweat from his forehead. "Let's continue. Do you know the name Yang Liwei?"
Li Yin sat up straight, her eyes lighting up. "That sounds familiar!"
Yi Fan put down his skewer. "Manned spaceflight? Shenzhou 5?"
"Yes! I'm sure I've heard of that!"
With this clue, the timeline was finally clear: Li Yin's last memory was from 2003.
Twenty years had passed since then.
Finding information after such a long time would be challenging.
Yi Fan fell into deep thought. After all these years, Li Yin's hometown was likely unrecognizable. Even if he found her family, they might be frightened to see her unchanged appearance from 2003. This presented a significant problem.
Scratching his head, Yi Fan glanced at his balance out of habit.
After spending 99 yuan on underwear and another 86 yuan for half-priced barbecue, his remaining balance was exactly 2,003 yuan.
What a coincidence.
"Yi Fan," Li Yin's voice pulled him from his thoughts.
He looked up at her. "It's been twenty years."
Li Yin was silent.
"I think you should prioritize finding your family," Yi Fan said earnestly.
Time waits for no one, and Yi Fan didn't want Li Yin to have regrets in her life.
Li Yin tilted her head. "But what about the money I owe you?"
"Don't worry about that." Yi Fan smiled softly. "I trust you won't run away without paying me back. Once you've found your family, you can repay me bit by bit."
Yi Fan never thought he'd say something like this.
Always considering himself a rational person, he now found himself willing to let go of a debt for a ghostly girl he had only met yesterday.
"But I think finding my family and working hard to repay you aren't mutually exclusive," Li Yin said seriously. "It's not like finding home is something that happens overnight."
"…"
She had a point. Yi Fan nodded but then heard her ask,
"Or do you think I'm disrupting your life, and you want me gone? If that's the case, just tell me. I'll leave. I'm already grateful that you took me in for two days and helped me learn to walk."
"That's not it," Yi Fan said with a wry smile. Then, seriously, he added, "You're not just my partner. You're an important partner. I won't drive you away, understand?"
"An important partner?" Li Yin tilted her head, puzzled.
Yi Fan avoided her gaze. "I'm counting on you to help me make money. Plus, in this heat, having you around makes everything cooler. Isn't that great? That's what I mean by an important partner—you're valuable to me."
"I see."
Li Yin blinked and suddenly slid her foot under the table, clamping it lightly around Yi Fan's leg.
Yi Fan: "?"
Li Yin whispered, "Shh, I'm secretly cooling you down. Don't let anyone notice."